Considered a masterpiece of post-revolutionary Iranian film, Bashu is set during the Iran-Iraq war, opening with a raid on an Iranian village located near the frontlines in Khuzestan. It follows 10-year-old Bashu, who loses his home and family in the attack. He escapes in a departing truck and finds himself in the north, near the border with Russia. There, he finds himself ostracised because of his darker skin and unfamiliar dialect.